Report: Chelsea to send 18-year-old talent on potential nine-game loan

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Young Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos is set to return to former club Vasco da Gamma on a three-month loan deal, according to the Evening Standard.

After failing to secure a work permit to play in England, the 18-year-old was always expected to return to Brazil on loan.

Santos’ former club, Vasco da Gamma, were initially not among the favourites to win the race for the player, however.

Palmeiras, who compete in Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, were widely considered the preferred destination, but they were reluctant to give Chelsea the option to recall Santos this summer.

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are keen to take a look at Santos in pre-season this summer and would want the option to include him in their first-team squad.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano previously claimed that Chelsea would have liked to integrate Santos into the first team right away if it was not for the work permit issue.

The Blues also want to send the Brazil youth international to the U-20 World Cup in May, the report adds.

This would likely be beneficial for Santos development, too.

Earlier this month, the young midfielder was named the player of the tournament in the Sudamericano Sub-20 after captaining Brazil to a first-place finish.

Santos would reportedly be able to play up to nine games for the potential loan club, so it may have put off interested clubs.

While from Vasco da Gamma’s perspective, this only means they would get to keep a talented player, whom they already sold, for an extra three months.

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